Government exercise with low-flying planes creates panic in lower Manhattan

September 17th, 2009 Venezuela considers shooting down drug planesCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez said Thursday he's mulling the possibility of allowing Venezuela's air force to shoot down suspected drug planes, but he is not convinced it's a good idea. "We are studying it.

September 11th, 2009 White House defends Sept 11 training exerciseWASHINGTON — The White House is defending the Coast Guard's decision to hold a training exercise in the Potomac River on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says he doesn't believe the White House was notified about the training exercise.

August 9th, 2009 Crash over Hudson River exposes crowded airspaceNEW YORK —Flying a small plane above the Hudson River can feel like ducking into a crowded, urban canyon — with towering skyscrapers on each side and more than a dozen helicopters and planes all buzzing lower than the nearby Empire State Building. The city's worst air disaster in eight years has drawn calls for more regulation of the air corridor over the Hudson, which is less than three-quarters of a mile wide at the site where a helicopter and small plane collided midair.

July 31st, 2009 PARIS - Two months after the crash of an Air France Airbus A330 into the Atlantic, the France-based aircraft manufacturer is urging companies flying its planes to replace their air speed measurement devices, an Airbus spokesman said Friday. Stephen Schaffrath said all airlines using Pitot tubes manufactured by Thales are concerned by the recommendation, which was drawn up in collaboration with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

June 15th, 2009 Man with fear of flying spending month on planeNEW YORK — A man who says he's afraid to fly is spending the month of June living on a plane. Mark Malkoff, 33, a comedian and filmmaker, boarded his first flight June 1 from LaGuardia in New York, where he lives, heading to Atlanta.

May 11th, 2009 Not again: FAA stops military flight over HudsonNEW YORK — The Federal Aviation Administration turned down a U.S. Navy request to fly a patrol aircraft past Manhattan on Monday, two weeks after a nerve-racking Air Force photo shoot over the Statue of Liberty caused a brief panic.

May 11th, 2009 NYC Navy flight canceled 2 weeks after jet panicNEW YORK — The Federal Aviation Administration says it turned down a U.S. Navy request to fly a patrol aircraft past Manhattan, two weeks after a government photo shoot caused a panic in the office towers near ground zero.

April 30th, 2009 Building collapses in NYC's lower ManhattanNEW YORK — The New York City Fire Department says a building at a construction site in lower Manhattan has collapsed. Fire officials say it appears no one was inside.

April 28th, 2009 Recriminations after NYC jet flyover photo opNEW YORK — It was supposed to be a photo op that captured images of an Air Force One plane with a majestic Statue of Liberty in the background. Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor and prompted thousands of others to ask, "What were they thinking?" Just before the workday began on Monday, an airliner and supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline.

April 28th, 2009 Jet flyover in lower Manhattan sets off panicNEW YORK — One of the president's official planes and a supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline in a flash just as the work day was beginning Monday. Within minutes, startled financial workers streamed out of their offices, fearing a nightmarish replay of Sept.

April 28th, 2009 Recriminations fly after NYC jet flyover photo opNEW YORK — It was supposed to be a photo op that captured images of an Air Force One plane with a majestic Statue of Liberty in the background. Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor and prompted thousands other to ask, "What were they thinking?" Just before the workday began on Monday, an airliner and supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline.

April 28th, 2009 FAA told NYC mayor's office before plane incidentWASHINGTON — An administration official says the New York City mayor's office and a slew of other local police agencies were warned ahead of time that a backup Air Force One and military fighters would be flying low around the Statute of Liberty. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Monday the Federal Aviation Administration notified Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office and other New York and New Jersey police agencies about the Boeing 747's flight.

April 27th, 2009 White House apologizes for Air Force One photo-opWASHINGTON — A White House official is taking responsibility for a Boeing 747's flying photo op over New York City that sent some workers in lower Manhattan into a panic. The plane is a version of the 747 that's called Air Force One when the president is aboard.

April 27th, 2009 NYC financial workers see low-flying planes, panicNEW YORK — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he is furious that the federal government flew a presidential Boeing 747 and a fighter jet near ground zero. The incident on Monday caused a brief panic among workers, who said they were not notified in advance.

April 27th, 2009 White House: No info on Air Force 1 photo-opWASHINGTON — The White House says it doesn't have any information about the Boeing 747's flying photo op over lower Manhattan that sent Manhattan into a panic. The plane is a version of the 747 that's called Air Force One when the president is aboard.